Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-07-08
Out on First Campaign.

August, 1861, gave me my first expert
knee US soldier. Our company was made
E;o in Quincy, ILL.,, none of the members
|b.lonsing in the city, but mostly OF Adams
bounty; a few were refugees from Missouri.
|lart OF the men We're mustered and part
were not. We were called to Canton, Mo-,
!. town twelve or fifteen miles above Quincy
|oa he Mississippi, that was Threatened by
|. force of the enemy under Martin E.
e-een, who by his efforts in Northern Mis-
|sonri was causing no little excitement
|among the citizens of Canton.
In order to make our company available
Ne authorities of Quincy gave us arms. and
sruh war mnterial as it was! but it was rs
eoalas they could give, everything con-
|slelel We were taken up to Canton Oh
|he teyryboat, and disembarked. A sorry
| boxing set we We're, in citizens clothes,
| v. h no equiplA.nt more than the old flint
h.ks converted into percussion.
And we were going out to not only resist
INVASION, but to carry invasion into the
easnys country. Some of our men went
U. on the steal-we afterward called it
h!agng and the results were our Lieu
tllnt, Woodruff, and two men were
artured by the force we were looking for.
Y were hunting for just what we found.
bout two o'clock in the morning after
Tfst Canton, while crossing the bottom
b .orth Fabius, small stream in Mis-
k=s., and coming out of the timber on the
,iirie, the grass on both sides of the road
-!ng as high as mans head. where the
! lemy was concealed on our left, we were
! ompletely ambushed. The volley was
Unexpected by our command. In addition
b our company, there We're two home
kaarl companies who came to us that
Evening about five o'clock.
TIE tirng, as above stated, was unex-
! ected, and it threw us in somewhat OF a
kil,organized condition, but we were soon
fut III fighting trim by the exertions and
Experience of Lieutenant Bruce, who was
Pl Old regular. and, as Colonel Woodland
Pal Major King waived priority and
Seniority i'll favor Of Bruce taking command,
f. ordered MS to move by file right.
Marching some distance, we We're halted
Phi faced to front, some four hundred
yards distant from tie foot of Deer Ridge,
E4ele the enemy had taken position after
Fley had fired on us. The orders of Bruce
Mere that the front rank should kneel
|!oWn, while the rear rank would fire by
Fiei&il. | and many of my comrades We're
Pt loss to know what detail meant. Bruce,
ffssAs IL, hesitate, explained the term to
Fae boys. The order was executed. to our
F,' staction as we'll as to tat of the enemy,
NAo. after giving us parting shot with a
fl@ll swivel, filled as it then appeared to
rs With nails. that went wide OF the mark,
fls2aFed i'll haste. leaving Line dead; their
pounded they had taken away.
TN the road by which they took their de-
arturo we've strewn saddles, blankets.
|las. and many things that went far toward
e4IeXing Ii as n rout. We lost one man
EN!e1; he was our guide, and necessarily
u advance when first we We're fired upon,
EAi one man wounded. But if the enemy
kl4' followed up their attempt, the result
Eo0!a have been different with US. The
EE4rcessary drill and discipline We're want
f..9 Tor we were imperfect in all that
g't> 10 make tirst-class soldier.
Aiter our nights experience. and the de-
[sa' OF the Confederacy in the face of all
We fell back. agreenbly to mill
tasI, p2rlance, to Fairmount, small Town
Elsfe our boys did the jayhawking the
pay We made the advance on the Fabius.
j. SLoNIGAR.